DNA test needs an international 'yes'

A CONTROVERSIAL DNA test was given the all clear last week by a panel commissioned by the UK government. However, the panel said the test will not be trusted fully until it is validated internationally by independent experts.

Just four or five cells are all that are needed to identify someone through low-template DNA (LTD) analysis, making it potentially extremely useful. Standard DNA fingerprinting, by contrast, works only if there are more than 200 cells in the sample.

Many people have criticised the test for being unreliable, however. For example, in one UK case, a sample of forensic tape carrying tiny amounts of DNA related to a murder inquiry drew a blank when analysed by one company, but a positive result when analysed by another. The technique was also heavily criticised last December by the judge in a trial that acquitted Sean Hoey of planting the 1998 bomb in Omagh, ...

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